Monday, April 28, 2014

NOFSN is Dead. Long Live NOFSN!

Hey there free schoolers!!!!

In case you haven't noticed, we haven't printed a calendar or updated the website in a very long time. The NOFSN organizing body has been on an extended hiatus while some of our organizers and volunteers pursue exciting personal opportunities. But there's a pretty good chance you haven't noticed our break at all because the free school never needed its organizing body to exist. The organizers were just an amplifier for all the amazing stuff y'all did, and because you are the coolest, you are all still doing it! The classes have never stopped. So until we can get back up and running at full capacity, we have created an open source blog that you all can update with your classes or other free educational opportunities that you hear about.

You can access the site at: http://www.jottit.com/r589t/. To add content, click "EDIT" in the bottom left hand corner, then type the information into text box that will appear on the left hand side of the page, when you are finished, click "PUBLISH" in the bottom left hand corner.

When posting a class be sure to include the following: Name of class, time and location of class, brief description of class, your contact information and/or the instructors contact information (with their permission), and any prerequisites or required materials.

Please note that classes, instructors, information and content posted on this site are not evaluated by the New Orleans Free School Network organizing body and so do not necessarily meet NOFSN's standards of inclusivity and alternative educational practices. Classes and content are not representative of one person, group or organization. This is your school. You are all teachers. You are all students.

If this is not good enough for you and you want the print calendar and full website to come back, to see us out at community events, to go to more of our awesome fundraisers, to go to our really fun organizers meetings, you should lead the charge to restart the organizing body! For information about what that would entail, get in touch with Hillary (937-361-1302, hillaryjbrown@gmail.com).
Keep up that good learning!
--
New Orleans Free School Network
(504)484-9418

Wednesday, August 28, 2013

We're still here!

Hey there Free Schoolers!

No, we haven't forgotten about you... Our organizers just took an accidental summer break. Don't worry, we are coming back stronger than ever this fall.

Thank you to everyone who continued with their classes during our hiatus and to all the folks who submitted class proposals and have not yet heard back. You all are what keeps this project going. This next calendar is going to knock your socks off.

Our first meeting of the season is next Wednesday, August 4th @ 6:30. If you are interested in attending, call Hillary at 937.361.1302 for the details.

If you have web design skills, teaching or outreach experience, a passion for community projects and/or an interest in sharing knowledge widely and openly, please consider coming to a meeting. With a larger volunteer network, we can be sure to avoid breaks like this in the future!

Look out for our new calendar this September and come visit our table at the New Orleans Anarchist Bookfair, October 19th and 20th at Zeitgeist Multi-Disciplinary Arts Center.

See you soon!




Wednesday, April 17, 2013

Change is coming!

Hey there Free Schoolers!

Just wanted to give y'all a heads up, we are making some changes to the Calendar format and the Class Proposal Form. Look out for new versions of those next month. In the meantime, go to our current classes page and check out all the great stuff going on this month.

Our organizer group is still meeting every other week but not at a regular time. If you want to come see what we do or get involved, give us a call, send us an email and we will make sure you know when and where to find us.

Our search for a class/office space continues. Let us know if you have any leads on free/cheap/totally awesome spaces we could call home.

Wednesday, February 27, 2013

Help NOFSN find a home!

We need your help!

The New Orleans Free School Network has decided that in order to better serve and support alternative education in our city, we need a central space to work from. Our dream is to have a space where we can hold office hours, host a variety of classes and store records of past classes and educational materials.

Our perfect location would be a safe, handi-capped accessible, semi-public space with restrooms that we could furnish with some seating, tables, bookshelves and a coffee maker and have 24 hour access to. This spot might be a room in a community center, an office building, warehouse or a house. This might be a place that needs some attention and we would work-trade with the owner/property manager in exchange for use of the space. We aren't too picky about the geographic location.

Do you have the perfect place for us? Do you know someone who might? Please spread the word about our school house search and contact us if you have any leads. Cheap is good, free is better! We really appreciate your support!

Thursday, January 31, 2013

Check out all the awesome classes happening this month!

February 2013 Class Descriptions


Freedom to Build, Phase 2: phased 2 build
see http://freedomtobuild.blogspot.com for
class times, locations, and up-to-date info
A hands-on informal study of architecture history focused on the
creation, control, and usage of spaces people use + shape in New
Orleans and elsewhere... researching, discussing, and building.
When + where we meet will change depending on the topics, so
check our website for times, info, and locations.
Contact Jackson: jackson.blalock@gmail.com


Change Your Oil, Change Your Life
Contact instructor for day and time
This is a class for people who want to know how cars work and
how to keep them working. The exact content will depend on
peoples interests and experience, but we’ll talk about the operating
mechanisms and major components of cars, how they work and
interact, and
how they break. We’ll also do some looking at actual
cars and identifying parts, differences between models, and
common problems. Finally we will look at the tools and
equipment used to work on cars, and then use it to work on some
cars. How hands on any given class is will be weather dependent,
so wear clothes you aren’t too attached to.

Take it to the streets:
Creating Community Art Projects in Your Neighborhood
Friday 2/15, 8 - 10 PM
Fairgrinds @ 3133 Ponce De Leon St
This hands-on workshop will discuss different ways to implement a socially-engaged art project in a community, ranging from something traditional like a mural to something more experimental like a public intervention project. Creating collaborations with other artists, community partners, local resources, and bureaucracy to get your project up and running will also be discussed.  Finally, we will brainstorm a community arts project (as a group, or solo, your choice) and work on the design and concept.  A follow-up meeting will take place (date determined by group) to discuss the progress on research and development of the projects. 

All Ages Knitting
Tuesdays 6 PM
Community Book Center @ 2523 Bayou Rd
Come learn to knit. Some materials provided. All ages and abilities
welcome!
Contact Lena: 267-312-5817


Rope Bite
Monday 2/11, 2/25, 6:15 PM
Marigny area, contact instructor for location
From the ancient Japanese art of Shibari to the present and diverse
world today, we will be exploring how we can use rope for love,
lust, and a show, the bondage, the power exchange, the art, and the
flow. The first 30 minutes of every group session is for new
students to learn the basics, as well as for returning students to
warm up and review. The class will include field trips to allow for
extra learning and real-life exploration. NOLA has some great
spots for gorilla/flash tying; let's find them. Practice rope is
available, but it is recommended that you bring your own. Come to
class to learn about the different types of rope and how to select
them.
Contact Tyrus: 816-210-4077


Empower Hour Series: Empower Your Parenting
Friday, 2/8, 11:30AM
Harmony Oaks Community Center @ 2514 Washington Ave
Today’s youth present caregivers with new obstacles and
adventures in parenting. This interactive workshop focuses on
parenting the difficult child and reclaiming your child from
negative influences.
Contact Latrice: 504-265-8960


Free GED tutoring
Tuesdays, 6 PM and Thursdays, 10AM
RAE @ 1212 St Bernard Ave
Resurrection After Exoneration is now offering free GED tutoring!
Classes are Tuesdays from 6-7:30pm (math focused) and
Thursdays from 10-11:30am (literacy focused). Attend either or
both. It's never too late to get your GED! Contact Sebastian: 504-
302-1940


Book reading: Eckhart Tolle, "The Power of Now"
Tuesdays, 6:30 PM
Fairgrinds Coffee House @ 3133 Ponce de Leon
This will be a book reading/ open discussion of the Nature of
Reality. Many of us are going through our spiritual paths alone yet
it is so much easier to have a support group and a safe place to
openly discuss the often complicated path toward higher
consciousness. We will also read/discuss supporting material from
Jiddu Krishnamurti, Deepak Chopra, Rene Descartes, the Vedanta
and Upanishads. Required materials: Eckhart Tolle's, The Power of
Now. There is a free audio version online on YouTube.
Contact Leanne: lee_lee143@hotmail.com


Zen Meditation Instruction
Sundays 8:45 AM
Mid-City Zen @ 3156 Toulouse
Every Sunday morning Mid City Zen will offer zazen (sitting
meditation) instruction before its usual morning meditation
program. Using the touchstones of upright posture and breath
awareness, we will acquaint ourselves with the movement of our
own minds. Please wear loose comfortable clothing.


Punk Rock Takeover
Sundays 2-6 PM
The Big Top @ 1638 Clio St
PUNK ROCK TAKEOVER produces a weekly showcase of
diverse local bands from all around the Greater New Orleans area--
as well as the occasional national or international act--in order to
generate a cross pollination of musicians and fans to help foster a
more diverse and balanced music scene. All of our shows will
include bands of varying age groups and talent, bands from
different subcultural and geographical communities. All of the
proceeds from these shows will be funneled into local nonprofit
organizations, and the shows will also include speakers,
workshops, and skillshares from those organizations whenever
possible. One of our main goals with these events is to educate and
network people in a variety of ways, so they can take those skills
and create their own events or help where needed. Here's what we
can teach you: stage-managing, money-taking, sound-running,
food-cooking and -serving, flyering/promoting.
Contact Nicole: NicoleBZ@me.com


Intro to Harm Reduction
Fridays 2:30-4:30 PM
LGBT Community Center @ 2114 Decatur St
Harm Reduction is a perspective and a set of practical approaches
to reduce the negative consequences of drug use, incorporating a
spectrum of strategies from safer use to abstinence. In this course,
we will demonstrate some of the principles of Harm Reduction.
Contact: Michelle, nolaharmreduction@gmail.com, 504-535-4766


Imagine the (im)Possible: Gender in Science Fiction
Fridays 6:00 PM
3111 Palmyra St.
In this class, we will explore and expand upon concepts of gender
and feminism as seen through a literary lens. We will focus on (but
are not limited to) science fiction, speculative fiction, magical
realism, and fantasy. Some authors include Karen Joy Fowler,
Nalo Hopkinson, Ruth Nestvold, Ursula LeGuin, James Tiptree Jr.,
and Octavia Butler. We will read and discuss one short story per
week. All of the readings will be posted on
genderscifi.blogspot.com.
Although the class is informal, it is strongly recommend to do the
reading before each class. Contact Ally: abruser@uno.edu


Intimacy // In-To-Me-I-See
Friday 2/15 and Monday 2/25, 6
8 PM


Contact instructor for location
This is a discussion group born out of a couple of amazing
workshops held during Endless Gaycation. Together, we cover the
intersection between queer relationships, self-care, self-knowledge,
non-monogamy, radical self-awareness, communication, all the
social forces that press down on us, and boundary making. The
intent is to bring together and explore the many different strands
that influence our intimacies and relationships.
Contact Cordelia: 504-656-6742 ; felix.cordis.limen@gmail.com


NOLA TimeBank Intro Workshop
Sat. 2/16, 10 - 11:30 a.m.
Freret Neighborhood Center @ 4605 Freret St
Learn how the NOLA TimeBank works and how to set-up your
account. Meet fellow TimeBankers. Explore the "Community
Weaver" software that runs the NOLA TimeBank. Bring a laptop
or use one from the lab. RSVP at nolatimebank.org
Contact Gretchen: gretchen@nolatimebank.org


NOFSN Organizers Meetings
Want to get involved with the New Orleans Free School Network?
Come to our weekly organizers meeting! NOFSN always needs
motivated people to help us flyer, fundraise, organize events, table
at festivals, create promotional materials and help with lots of
other fun stuff. Contact us for time and location.


For more information on the New Orleans Free School Network, please
visit our website at http://nolafreeschoolnetwork.blogspot.com. You can
also reach us by phone at 504- 484-9418 or by email at
nolafreeschoolnetwork@gmail.com

Friday, January 11, 2013

Upcoming class: Change your oil - Change your life

Several people have been asking for a free school class on car mechanics. Well, here you go!

Change Your Oil - Change Your Life

Interest Meeting: Sun Jan 27 at 3:00 pm


Contact Ed at brokefastgarage@gmail.com for location!

Date and Time for regular class meeting TBD (probably starting in February). If anyone interested cannot make the meeting, just email me experience/interest level and time preferences.


This is a class for people who want to know how cars work and how to keep them working. The exact content will depend on peoples interests and experience, but we’ll talk about the operating mechanisms and major components of cars, how they work and interact, and how they break.  We’ll also do some looking at actual cars and identifying parts, differences between models, and common problems.  Finally we will look at the tools and equipment used to work on cars, and then use it to work on some cars.  How hands on any given class is will be weather dependent, so wear clothes you aren’t too attached to.

https://docs.google.com/document/d/1u5LxrBdAlehg2i7W4e0wKbxpSu8FaLDXexj5B7JKRpE/edit

The order and content of the syllabus are always up for review and revision based on the interests and knowledge of the class.

Wednesday, January 2, 2013

New Year, New Classes!

January 2013 Class Descriptions


Freedom to Build, Phase 2: phased 2 build

see http://freedomtobuild.blogspot.com for
class times, locations, and up-to-date info
A hands-on informal study of architecture history focused on the
creation, control, and usage of spaces people use + shape in New
Orleans and elsewhere... researching, discussing, and building.
When + where we meet will change depending on the topics, so
check our website for times, info, and locations.
Contact Jackson: jackson.blalock@gmail.com

All Ages Knitting

Tuesdays 7:30 PM
Community Book Center @ 2523 Bayou Rd
Come learn to knit. Some materials provided. All ages and abilities
welcome!
Contact Lena: 267-312-5817

Rope Bite (formerly the Art of Adult Ropes)

Monday 1/14, 1/28, 6:15 PM
Marigny area, contact teacher for location
From the ancient Japanese art of Shibari to the present and diverse
world today, we will be exploring how we can use rope for love,
lust, and a show, the bondage, the power exchange, the art, and the
flow. The first 30 minutes of every group session is for new
students to learn the basics, as well as for returning students to
warm up and review. The class will include field trips to allow for
extra learning and real-life exploration. NOLA has some great
spots for gorilla/flash tying; let's find them. Practice rope is
available, but it is recommended that you bring your own. Come to
class to learn about the different types of rope and how to select
them.
Contact Tyrus: 816-210-4077

Crock N Jug Club

Wednesdays
Contact instructor for time and location
In this class we will go over the basics of fermenting food and
drink products, as well as get our hands dirty and make some
awesome stuff!
1/9: Sauerkraut & Kimchi & Fermented Salsa
1/16: Alcohol (mead? beer?) & Kombucha
1/23: Basic Cheesemaking
Contact Andy: an.hasp@gmail.com

Empower Hour Series: Empower Your Instincts

Friday, Jan 4, 11:30AM
Harmony Oaks Community Center @ 2514 Washington Ave
This informative and enlightening workshop focuses on the
importance of trusting your gut and following your instincts.
Contact Latrice: 504-265-8960

Free GED tutoring

Tuesdays, 6 PM and Thursdays, 10AM
RAE @ 1212 St Bernard Ave
Resurrection After Exoneration is now offering free GED tutoring!
Classes are Tuesdays from 6-7:30pm (math focused) and
Thursdays from 10-11:30am (literacy focused). Attend either or
both. Please contact Sebastian if you have any questions or to sign
up! It's never too late to get your GED!!!
Contact Sebastian: 504-302-1940

Book reading: Eckhart Tolle, "The Power of Now"

Tuesdays, 6:30 PM
Fairgrinds Coffee House @ 3133 Ponce de Leon
This will be a book reading/ open discussion of the Nature of
Reality. Many of us are going through our spiritual paths alone yet
it is so much easier to have a support group and a safe place to
openly discuss the often complicated path toward higher
consciousness. We will also read/discuss supporting material from
Jiddu Krishnamurti, Deepak Chopra, Rene Descartes, the Vedanta
and Upanishads.
Required materials: Eckhart Tolle's, The Power of Now. There is a
free audio version online on YouTube.
Contact Leanne: lee_lee143@hotmail.com

Intro to Permaculture

Saturday, 1/26, 11 AM - 1 PM
Contact instructor for location
Permaculture is a design system for living that mimics nature. This
class is to introduce urban dwellers to how permaculture can help
live a more sustainable and rewarding life. Permaculture generally
includes using natural building, organic gardening and farming
methods that leave little impacts on the enviornment. This class is
also a pre-requisite for the Urban Survival Revival. Please preregister,
by emailing permaculturenola@gmail.com, as class size is
limited - cancellations can be made prior to 3 days before the event
to allow others to attend.
Contact Amy: permaculturenola@gmail.com

Zen Meditation Instruction

Sundays 8:45 AM
Mid-City Zen @ 3156 Toulouse
Every Sunday morning Mid City Zen will offer zazen (sitting
meditation) instruction before its usual morning meditation
program. Using the touchstones of upright posture and breath
awareness, we will acquaint ourselves with the movement of our
own minds. Please wear loose comfortable clothing.
Contact: midcityzennola@gmail.com

Punk Rock Takeover

Sundays 2-6 PM
The Big Top @ 1638 Clio St
PUNK ROCK TAKEOVER produces a weekly showcase of
diverse local bands from all around the Greater New Orleans area--
as well as the occasional national or international act--in order to
generate a cross pollination of musicians and fans to help foster a
more diverse and balanced music scene. All of our shows will
include bands of varying age groups and talent, bands from
different subcultural and geographical communities. All of the
proceeds from these shows will be funneled into local nonprofit
organizations, and the shows will also include speakers,
workshops, and skillshares from those organizations whenever
possible. One of our main goals with these events is to educate and
network people in a variety of ways, so they can take those skills
and create their own events or help where needed. Here's what we
can teach you: stage-managing, money-taking, sound-running,
food-cooking and -serving, flyering/promoting. You can show up
on any day you would like to learn/help.
Contact Nicole: NicoleBZ@me.com

Intro to Harm Reduction

Fridays 2:30-4:30 PM
LGBT Community Center @ 2114 Decatur St
Harm Reduction is a perspective and a set of practical approaches to reduce
the negative consequences of drug use, incorporating a spectrum of
strategies from safer use to abstinence. In this course, we will demonstrate
some of the principles of Harm Reduction. Drop-ins welcome.
Contact: Nora & Michelle nolaharmreduction@gmail.com or call
504-535-4766

NOFSN Organizers Meetings

Want to get involved with the New Orleans Free School Network?
Come to our weekly organizers meeting! NOFSN always needs
motivated people to help us flyer, fundraise, organize events, table
at festivals, create promotional materials and help with lots of
other fun stuff! Contact NOFSN for current meeting time and
location.

New class proposals are always accepted. If you would like your class to
appear on our printed calendar, please get your proposal to us by the
15th of the previous month. Proposal forms are available on our website,
at our weekly meetings and at the Iron Rail Bookstore @ 503 Barracks
For more information on the New Orleans Free School Network, please
visit our website at http://nolafreeschoolnetwork.blogspot.com. You can
also reach us by phone at 504- 484-9418 or by email at
nolafreeschoolnetwork@gmail.com